Hawk veteran Grant Birchall joins the Brisbane Lions

Four-time premiership player Grant Birchall hopes to play for three more years with the Brisbane Lions after signing a one-year deal to join the club as a free agent.

Birchall will join Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis as former premiership Hawks to finish their careers at another club, with Birchall deciding Queensland's warmer climate would be good for his body after a persistent knee injury and subsequent soft tissue injuries restricted him to just eight games in the past three seasons.

Grant Birchall has agreed to a one-year deal with Brisbane.Credit:Scott Gelston

Birchall, whose move brings to an end a 248-game career with the Hawks, played three games at the end of 2019, which gave him confidence he still had the capacity to perform at AFL level.

His manager Shane Casley told AFL Trade Radio that Birchall felt as though he could play for two or three more years, but had agreed a contract lasting until the end of 2020.

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Birchall hopes he can experience success at his new club.

"He identified Brisbane as a club that was on the rise and a club that he could potentially add some real value to and hoepfully be part of something special up there," Casley said.

The Lions lost Hodge to retirement after going out of the finals in straight sets at the Gabba, having finished second on the ladder.

They are yet to offer intercept marking defender Josh Walker a contract for 2020, with the 26-year-old open to exploring his options throughout the trade period. Walker played 11 games in 2019 and has been a valuable depth player at the Lions.

Nick Robertson and Allen Christensen are also unsigned, with both players part of the Lions' eventual semi-final loss to the Giants.

The Lions are in negotiations with Gold Coast for defender Callum Ah Chee, having signed free agent Cam Ellis-Yolmen on the opening day of the free agency period at the end of last week.